Twilight's Soul Floats Ever Deeper Into Space

‘Let us set up camp!’ Said the captain, as he motioned for the other stallions to take a rest by a fallen tree trunk. ‘Bout dam time Captain!’ Exhaled a blue-coated soldier as he fell to the grass. ‘Yeah, though, we have managed to make quite a distance from Canterlot Castle. I’d say that is a rest well earned.’ Said the pink stallion as he sat on top of the fallen tree.
‘I for one, am glad that we are able to rest.’ Said a snow-white guard ‘Say, have any of you seen Rocky Road?’ The captain and the other ponies moved their gaze toward the path they had just traveled. Rocky Road was nowhere to be seen on the grassy road. ‘Rocky?’ Captain Ruby Leaves shouted out, as panic slowly simmered under his calm completion. ‘ROCKY ROAD?’

‘I am here Captain leaves!’ Rocky said with a staggered breath. Startled by the sudden sound from behind him, the captain spun around and saw a worn-out earth pony guard, standing haphazardly with a metal scuttle weighing down the poor ponies back. ‘Please help, this thing is really heavy. And I don’t want to spoil the water for everyone.’ Rocky tried to keep his grip on the scuttle but it was slipping from his grasp. He closed his eyes as he expected the thing to spill, but he did not hear the splash hit the dirt under him. He opened his eyes slowly and found out that the captain was holding onto the scuttle’s handle with his teeth. The captain slowly lowered the thing next to him before asking ‘Where were you? I must say having a missing guard does not sit well for any of us right now.’ Rocky lowered his ears slightly. He felt like a foal being scolded by his captain ‘I found a river three clicks west from our current location. I thought it was a fantastic idea to bolster the moral, sir.’
Captain Leaves sighed softly as his body loosened up ‘I can never really stay mad at you Rocky, you know that right?’ Rocky nodded ‘I do captain… It won’t happen again, sir.’ ‘At ease Rocky. Go join you fellow guard, and thank you for fetching us this water.’ The captain gave Rocky a soft pat on his back before picking up the scuttle he trotted with him to the other three stallions.

‘Hey! Look at who it is. If it is not the sneaky son of a parasprite himself, it’s Rocky!’ Cheered the blue one. The other two smiled as they saw Rocky approaching them with the captain. ‘Are you ok Rocky? We were worried that you may have fallen unconscious.’ Said the pink one. ‘But, we are most elated to find you well and safe. Ah, does my eye spy a magnificently mystical, and yet quite a quenching sight?’ Asked the snow-white one. ‘Man, you need to lay off that drama you read. You pick up their mannerisms too well.’ Mocked the blue one.
‘Well, at the very least one of us can read a book. Unlike one of the most barbaric ponies here.’ The snow-white one glared at the blue stallion. ‘Me? A barbaric pony? Why, you must mistake my visage for that horrific reflection you see in your mirror… See, anypony can do what you do.’ The blue one jeered at the snow-white guard. ‘That is enough of your bickering, the both of you’ yelled the captain. ‘Are you done? Good, now come and get your ration of water, which might I add. It was procured by Rocky here. Say thank you for his hard work, before you get your ration.’

“Captain, there is no reason to thank me. I only did what any other pony would do’ Rocky said embarrassed. ‘No, no. You took the initiative to help your squadron out. It is the very, and I mean very least they could do for you.’ Said the captain sternly at the two bickering guards. The blue stallion trotted over to Rocky ‘You are always ten thousand steps ahead of us, you manage to see things and situations that us mere mortal ponies dear not see. Thank you, Rocky. I do mean that.’ He grabbed his ration of water from the captain. ‘All right, next up’ the captain ordered. The snow-white guard trotted up to Rocky ‘Thank you ever so much, my dear friend. I would not know how to deal with matters such as this, for, I am not capable of foreseeing events such as this, but I am ever so glad to have you here with us.’ He too, grabbed his ration of water. ‘Next!’ ordered the captain.

The pink guard trotted over to both Rocky and the captain ‘How are you faring Rocky? You had quite the miss hap back there.’ Rocky smiled softly ‘I feel much better berry. Thank you for thinking of me.’ Berry hugged Rocky ‘Well, once we are all settled and set the camp why don’t you come by my side of the camp? I want to show you where the new star constellation is.’ Berry took his ration of water.
‘Now time for your rations Rocky.’ The captain gave him his flask of water. ‘Thank you, Captain.’ Rocky smiled softly as he headed back over to the other three guards.